8o ■ 



The art of preserving succulent food in air tight cisterns, — 

 notably brewers' grains has been known for many years in 

 Europe. In Austria-Hungary it is said that beet tops have 

 been preserved since the introduction of the beet sugar industry 

 there in earth trenches, and ensilage of ordinary crops for more 

 than 80 years. These trenches are narrower at the bottom than 

 top in order to get an oblique as well as vertical pressure. 

 These pits are six feet or more at the bottom, and eight feet at 

 the top, and about eight feet deep 



In France, M. Crevat, some years later, says : " Many 

 farmers prefer to dry the material somewhat before pitting. 

 Two or three days drying of corn-fodder will reduce the weight 

 about one- third. The trench is filled and the fodder piled up 

 above the ground to a height equal to the depth of the trench 

 under the surface. The earth is then piled upon the mass be- 

 fore fermentation commences. Two feet of soil will press the 

 mass down about three feet, and in a few days fermentation 

 will cause the mass to shrink to about one-half its original bulk, 

 and the weight of the material by condensation from about 

 800 pounds per cubic yard will weigh 2,000 pounds per 

 cubic yard. All earth silos, however, must be in soil never 

 liable to water-soak, and in stiff clay preferably, since, if in sand, 

 the air cannot be excluded. Air attracting moist matter soon 

 sets up destructive fermentation. Dislocations of the coverings 

 will ensue and the fermentation will go on to one of putrifaction. 

 In fact strong alcoholic fumes have known to have been thus 

 given off. 



The nature of ensilage is so well attested and understood in 

 Europe and America that no plea is longer necessary in its 

 defense. The only question now to be considered is as to the 

 best and cheapest means of preparing the fodder. It is not 

 necessary to go over the means heretofore used to prevent fer- 

 mentation. The intelligence of inventors has been directed 

 constantly to the easiest and most perfect means of keeping 

 fermentation within bounds, or of preventing its action unduly. 

 The measure of success with silos is in the more or less perfect 



